Dakota Spring

by D. Anne Love, Ronald Himler (Illustrator)

Caroline and Jess don't know what to make of their prim and proper grandmother. She's traveled all the way from South Carolina to the Dakota prairie to help out while their pa recovers from his injuries. Caroline and Jess must call her Mrs. Ravenell instead of Grandmother. They can't believe this stern woman is the mother of their own loving mother, who died just last year. But little by little Caroline sees just what kind of woman her grandmother really is, as they face spring planting, a prairie tornado, their shared grief, and an unexpected surprise.

Genres: Historical Fiction

90 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1995

About the author

I was born in western Tennessee, the eldest of four children. My father was a lover of books who taught me to read even before I started school. My mother was (and still is!) the world’s best mom and a lover of music who sang in the kitchen as she taught me to cook.

I enjoyed playing games and riding bikes but my favorite activity was reading. Among my favorite authors were Lois Lenski, Louisa May Alcott and Harper Lee. I was in love with words and stories, with the feel of paper as I turned the pages, with the smell of ink.
Major, the golden retriever

In high school, and later, in college, I discovered newspaper writing and worked for the paper to help pay for my education. I became a teacher, and later, a school principal, and then a college professor, but I never forgot my dream of someday writing books. In 1989, I began writing full time, and in 1995 Holiday House published BESS’S LOG CABIN QUILT, my first novel for young readers.

Since then I have published a number of other books. Writing is still my full time job, though I spend a lot of time visiting schools, talking to students and teachers about my favorite subjects: books and reading!

In addition to Texas, I’ve lived in Tennessee, Illinois, Iowa, and California. Currently I live in central Ohio with my husband Ron, and Major our rambunctious golden retriever. But Austin, Texas is, and always will be the place I call home.

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

While there are several good elements to this story, I can only rate it as mediocre. The characters are initially well developed and several possible themes are touched on in this short children’s book. But therein lies the problem; due to the briefness of the story, the resolution feels rushed, characters experience quick turnabouts, and the reader is unable to determine the overarching theme without uncertainty. As another reviewer stated, it is a decent representation of prairie life, but the story as a whole would benefit from additional scenes to provide a rounded and clearer picture.

[Art · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great reality check on life in the American West. What it was like to grow up on a farm in Dakota terroritory. Life of love-less marriage and little show of family love.

[Lindsay Bray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Themes: Middle grade, historical fiction, strong family elements

My Review:
A wholesome historical middle grade that showcased a beautiful family as they overcame the hardships on the frontier. Caroline was a great sister and a wonderful help to her father as he was healing. She handled her Grandmother’s visit with so much grace and kindness. It’s fun to experience and explore history through fictional books. I find that they have the perfect amount of adventure, realism and handle difficult topics without getting too descriptive.

[Gale · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE PRAIRIE CURE

In the late 1800's the Buck family is anxiously awaiting the requested arrival of Mrs. Abigail Ravenell, a sternly genteel lady from Charleston. But 13-year old Caroline and her younger brother, Jess, have private misgivings about their maternal grandmother, whose letter sounds more grim than kind. Laid up as a result of a bad fall off a neighbor's roof, Pa can't manage their modest farm in the Dakota Territory. It was his physical situation which drove this desperate father to request the temporary aid of his disapproving mother-in-law.

Related from Caroline's viewpoint this story depicts the struggle of prairie folk: accidents, death in childbirth (their mother, Rebecca prior to the story's opening) and dreaded tornados. How will a society matron take to the primitive conditions on the prairie? Personal pathos underscores each chapter as the siblings seek to win their grandmother's approval--if not her actual love. Critical and unforgiving of the lovely wilderness which claimed both the heart and ultimately the life of her beloved Rebecca, Mrs. Ravenell causes the children needless hurt--even taking over a parental role regarding discipline. Caroline despairs of earning the right to call this harsh woman "Grandmother." Will the dowager ever become reconciled to Rebecca's death--embracing Caroline and Jess as her true family? A quick, albeit serious, YA read.

(June 18, 2011. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)

[Megan Anderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, on the one hand, I'm definitely collecting a number of books for reluctant readers lately! However, I also think I need to start in on my pile of longer books soon...

Okay, book review for this one! It was a little predictable, but a decent depiction of prairie life for someone who either isn't very well-read in that area or for someone who has difficulty reading. It is a very short book, so it's a little hard to get into--I almost blinked and it was over. Because it was so short, it felt like there was almost no characterization or progression; the grandmother seemed to change from a "mean old lady" into "lovely person" in the space of a paragraph, with really no explanation of the epiphany. It wasn't a brilliant book, but for someone who has trouble reading, its length and simplicity could be a definite plus.

2/5 on here, 5/10 for myself.

[Fred Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dakota spring was a good book but not a great one but I would rate it a 8 out of 10. My favorite part in the book is when Caroline and her family go to visit her mother's grave because her grandmother didn’t ever cry until that very moment when she saw her daughter's grave. I made the connection to when they visited the grave because I visited my great grandpa’s grave and I was pretty sad even though I never met him. I also had a connection to when the tornado hit and they couldn't find their dog that same thing happened to me. A dress symbolizes the first time Caroline and her grandmother got a long and it caused them to see eye to eye on many more things. Will Caroline find her dog in the midst of a tornado? Read and find out.

[Catherine Richmond]

When Jess and Caroline's father is injured, their grandmother travels from South Carolina to help. She's horrified by the wide-open spaces of Dakota and by the children's behavior. She still grieves for her daughter, the children's mother. But just as spring brings new growth, new love comes to the prairie.
An excellent middle-grade read.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

While this is a book for young readers, I think I would love a longer version with more character development.